Electrical relay



Nov. 3, 1931. w. B, WELLS ET AL ELECTRICAL RELAY Filed Oct. 14, 1950 1 W n 4. WM, 6?; %W

INVENTORJ 2 m ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WESLEY B. WELLS, OF WILKINSBURG, AND NOBLE C. SHAW, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE UNION SWITCH 8: SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA,'A CORPORATION OF ?ENNSYLVANIA ELECTRICAL RELAY Application filed October 14,1930. Serial No. 488,600.

Our invention relates to electrical relays.

We will describe one form of relay embodying our invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view, partially sectional, illustrating one form of relay embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a view of one of the contact supports 1 shown in Fig. 1 as it appears when viewed from the left in Fig. 1 along the plane of the contact springs 4 and 17. Fig. 3 is a fragmental bottom view of a part of the relay illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in all of the views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference character R designates an electrical relay comprising a top plate 21 which is made of suitable insulating material, such as porcelain or bakelite, and which carries an electromagnet 26 and terminal posts 22, 23, 24 and 25. Each core 28 of the electromagnet extends through the top plate 21 and terminates on the underside of the plate in a pole 1piece 27. Secured to the pole pieces 27 are angers 29 in which an armature 2 of suit able magnetizable material is pivoted at 3.

The spring support 1, as best seen in Fig. 2, is made of suitable insulating material, such as porcelain or bakelite, and comprises two arms 30 and 30 connected by a web 31 which .s provided with a hole 32. The support is attached to armature 2 by a screw 20 which passes through this hole. The top of the web has a channel 33 which receives a rib 42 on the armature to prevent the support from turning. The arms 3O and 30 of support 1 extend downwardly and at an angle with the plane of web31, and each arm is provided at its lower end with an outstanding wing 34 having a hole 35, a channel 11 on the top, and shoulders 14 and 15 on the bottom. Shoulder 14 extends outwardly from the wing farther than shoulder 15. As best seen in Fig. 4, each wing 34 carries two contact springs 4 and 17 in the channel between shoulders 14 and 15. Contact springs 4 and 17 are placed between leaves 6 and 7, and the assembly rests against support 1 at points 9 and 10. The assembly, is attached to the support 4 by a screw 8 which passes through a hole 35 in arm 34, and a nut 16 coacting with the screw and located in a recess 11 on the top of the arm. Arm 34 is cut away between points 9 and 10 so that tightening the screw 8 will "bend the portion of contact springs 4 and 17 between these points and leaves 6 and 7 up- Ward causing the tips of the springs to bend away from a fixed contact block 5, reducing nut lock is held securely in a notch 13 cut in shoulder 14. In addition to preventing the contact spring assembly from turning, nut lock 12 is bent up around the head of adjustlng screw 8 and prevents it from turning after adjustments are made.

The tip of contact spring 17 at times engages a tip 37 on a back contact member 18. Back contact member 18 is made of metal having a low resistance and is fastened to top plate 21 by means of a screw 36 which forms a part of binding post 22. Back contact member 18 extends downwardly from top plate 21 at an angle with the plane of the top plate, and tip 37 of the contact is so bent that it forms a right angle with member 18.

Between armature 2 and pole piece 27 is an air gap 38 which is regulated by a core pin 39 and an armature stop 40. Core pin 39 is made of non-magnetizable material and prevents armature'2 from touching pole piece 27. Armature stop 40 is made of non-magnetizable material and is fastened to top plate 21 by the core pin 39 which passes through 40 and is attached to the top plate by a nut 41. The armature stop is bent at two places so that it projects downwardly from top plate 21 and then under the edge of armature 2. Armature stop 40 limits the distance armature 2 may drop from pole piece 27.

When electromagnet 26 is energized, armature 2 is held in the position shown on the drawing and the free end of contact spring 4 engages the contact block 5. When electromagnet 26 is deenergized, however, armature 2 drops down due to the influence of gravity and the. free end of contact spring 17 engages the back contact tip 37 One of the advantages of a contact spring support embodying our invention'is that the adjustment is accomplished entirely by bending the springs between the points of supports 9 and 10, thus avoiding the necessity for bending the flexible parts of the springs which lie beyond the point 9. This avoids any tendency for the spring adjustment to change due to aging.

Another advantage of a contact support embodying our invention is that the screw 12, together with the points 9 and 10, protures.

WESLEY B. WELLS. NOBLE C. SHAW.

vides a micrometric adjustmentofthe springs,

so that very accurate adjustment may be attained without the necessity for cutting and trying. as has heretofore been required.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of electrical relay embodying our invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A relay comprising a movable armature provided witha rib, a contact spring support havinga channeled web attached to said armature with said rib projecting into the channel of said web, an arm integral with and extending downwardly from said web and at an angle with the plane of the web, an integral wing extending outwardly from said arm in a plane which is inclined upwardly at an angle with the plane of the web, two integral shoulders on the bottom of said wing, and a contact spring attached to said wing between said shoulders.

2. A relay contact spring support comprising an insulating arm recessed to provide two spaced edges, a contact spring coacting with said edges and having a free end spaced a considerable distance from said arm,

and a screw passing through said spring and sand arm for varying the pressure of the spring against said edges and thereby arm, a screw passing through said spring 

